Body, Ink, and Soul

by Jude Ouvrard

  "Hey, roomie! Nix is safe, don't worry." He waited a few seconds before he added anything. "Something happened tonight though..." He winked at me.

  "What?" Bekka never liked this game, I could hear the anxiety in her voice. "Is she pregnant or something?"

  I couldn't help myself, I burst into laughter.

  "No, not yet," he said and smiled at me.

  What?

  "Levi Monroe, don't you make me jump on a plane to come and kick your ass," Bekka threatened.

  "Relax lady. I proposed to Phoenix and right now, she’s too busy staring at her diamond to talk to you."

  "Nix, I know you can hear me, is that true? How come you haven’t sent me a picture of your ring already?" She sounded mad.

  I rolled my eyes at her, knowing she couldn't see me. "It’s a beautiful ring with a huge square princess cut diamond."

  "Really? Oh My God! I wish I could have seen the proposal!"

  "He was really cute. I couldn't possibly say no to him."

  "Okay well send me the picture, right now," she ordered. "I gotta get back to work. Some of us need to work on a Friday night."

  "Oh! Come on! I’ll be back on Monday."

  "Laters. Don't get married in Vegas or I’ll strangle you, Levi".

  "Yes ma'am." Levi grinned. He reached across to take my newly-embellished hand and kissed each of my knuckles in turn.

  The waitress brought us our pizza, fresh from the oven. It was exactly the way I liked it. The cheese was perfectly grilled and the crust was crispy. We ate the whole thing in ten minutes.

  "That was the best pizza I’ve had in a long time," I announced with a happy sigh.

  "I agree, but now I'm full," Levi complained.

  "Me too, it hurts."

  We both held a hand on our bloated tummies. I had to undo the button of my jeans to help me breathe more comfortably. We paid the check and walked slowly back to our hotel. Levi kept his hand pressed possessively against the curve of my back the whole time.

  Back at the hotel room, I was able to pull of my now too-tight jeans and change into some comfy sweat pants. I wished I’d brought something sexier in my luggage, now that we were engaged. It would have been the perfect occasion to spice things up.

  Levi was yawning and switching the channels of the TV every two seconds. Nothing seemed to be catching his attention.

  "I'm so tired tonight and I feel like we didn't even do all that much," he grumbled.

  "Levi, you just proposed to me, I think that’s more than enough for one night."

  "Yeah, I did, right?" His smile was back on his tired face. "You’re my fiancée and the future Mrs. Levi Monroe."

  "Exactly. I like the sound of that."

  "Me too." He caught me by the hand and trapped me in an embrace. "Let’s watch some TV, I need to chill a bit. We ate like pigs."

  "I know, but it was so good." I cuddled against his neck and his cologne sent me straight to heaven. "We’ll eat salad for the rest of the weekend," I joked.

  "Not happening, I need real food if I’m going to survive this weekend. You have no idea how busy it will get. Kyle couldn’t get here until tomorrow morning, but at least he’ll be here to help me set everything up. We’ve got t-shirts and hoodies to sell and we’ll be doing tattoos. It will be fun, but exhausting."

  "I’ll take care of keeping you fed and selling the t-shirts and hoodies."

  "You are the best girlfriend, uh, fiancée in the world."

  "I know."

  He tightened his embrace as he went through all the movie channels. I think I fell asleep before he was able to make up his mind. I woke up early the next morning to find myself in bed with Levi; our arms and legs intertwined together. God, I loved him.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Kyle had arrived at sunrise and both he and Levi were working at their kiosk. They had posters to fix on the walls and the t-shirts and hoodies to display on the table. When that was all done, they both adjust their work areas, with their portable chair, inks and machines. After checking on them, I went to get some coffee and breakfast. The doors were going to open within the hour and I knew the guys were starving.

  I could tell Levi was anxious. He had no idea of what to expect over the weekend, or who would walk in and what kind of tattoos he would be doing. It had to be nerve-wracking for him and Kyle.

  I wanted them to eat well and get all the energy possible from their breakfast. I wanted eggs, bacon, fresh fruits, sausages and toasts. I asked for suggestions at the hotel’s front desk and they sent me to the restaurant across the street. I ordered the food without looking at the menu and waited patiently. Within ten minutes, I was crossing the street again with my hands full. I walked in to the convention centre and discovered the guys were gone. I knew they couldn't have gone too far away. I put the food down on the table and glanced around.

  "Rock Star!" I heard Levi call my name and a smile was immediately drawn on my lips. "I want you to meet our neighbours for the weekend."

  "Sure." I stepped across to where Levi and Kyle stood with a few other people.

  "Guys, this is my fiancée, Nix. She’ll be helping us out over the weekend."

  "Did you say fiancée?" Kyle punched Levi on the shoulder. "And you forgot to tell me? You are such a jerk!" He turned toward me with bright eyes. "Come here, beautiful!" Kyle hugged me and kissed my cheeks. "Congrats Nix, you two are great together."

  "Thanks, Kyle."

  Levi caught my attention with a warm smile and a wink. "So, Nix, this here is King B. and Pat, this is their kiosk and these guys are Tommy and Alice, they have the kiosk in front of ours."

  "Nice meeting you all." I was kind of intimidated by them, as they were all covered in tattoos. I should be used to it by now, but I still wasn't. Levi and Kyle weren’t going out of their way to show off their ink, but the others were wearing wife beaters to ensure their ink was on full display. They had a huge amount of tattoos, a lot more than Levi. Pat had so many, even his legs were covered.

  We ended up going back to the kiosk to eat our breakfast. They both thanked me for the huge breakfast and warm coffee. Soon afterwards, people started pouring in through the doors. The organizer were expecting thousands of visitors and I wasn't entirely certain the guys were ready for such huge crowds.

  Kyle was quickly set to work with a skull project for a guy’s calf and Levi was drawing a broken heart and angel for a mother who had lost her child. The lady sat in a chair at the front of our kiosk, while Levi drew a really nice piece. I think he could relate to her in some ways. He was a child who had lost his mother and this lady had lost her child. There was a haunting synchronicity to their mutual losses.

  Levi had pure, unadulterated talent. The drawing was clean and skillful his lines were perfect and even though it was only an outline, I could see the emotions he’d drawn into the angel’s faces. He had captured every sign of grief, pain and love and incorporated it into the design. I couldn't wait to see the lady’s reaction. There was no way she wasn't going to like it.

  "Levi, it's incredible. So beautiful."

  He smiled with pride and glanced over at the lady who was patiently waiting. "I was inspired by it. I added a few flowers to it. I hope she won't mind." He got up and showed her his piece of art. No words were spoken as she stared at the drawing. Her lips were sealed, but her eyes were filled with tears which rolled down her cheeks. I offered her a tissue and she took it, then threw her arms around Levi. She cried for a few minutes and Levi patted her back softly. All I could hear was the woman saying thank you repeatedly. She loved it, and Levi had nailed it.

  While he worked on her tattoo, I called Val and told her our good news. She screamed over the line and I begged her to stop. Happy couldn’t describe how delighted she was. Overjoyed was more like it.

  "This is your moment, Nix, enjoy every second of it. Be happy because you deserve it. I love you, sister. I better be a bridesmaid!"

  "You will, that’s for sure. I wouldn't do it without you."
>
  "I'm sorry Nix, but I’ve gotta go, John is waiting for me. He’s taking me out." She sounded apologetic.

  "No problem, I’ll call you soon with more details."

  I missed her. She meant so much to me and it was hard to be so far away from her.

  Apart from selling the merchandise and giving away business cards, I didn’t have much to do and I was bored. Kyle and Levi were busy and quiet, both concentrating on their work. I decided to walk around other aisles and see what the other artists were doing. There was a tattooist from one of the TV shows and he had at least thirty people standing around, watching him work. I saw King B. and Tommy talking with some other guys. They both nodded when I passed them. King B. reminded me of someone, maybe an actor, but I couldn't remember which movie it was.

  Time passed and I was sent out by the guys to get more food. I brought them back burgers and French fries and Levi suggested I get out and have a look around while things were quiet. I headed outside the hotel and bought souvenirs for Bekka and Val. I took dozens of pictures and went shopping in some really cute boutiques and a few great t-shirts for Levi and a couple for myself. I enjoyed spoiling my man.

  By the time I got back to the convention, it was an hour away from closing time. At the guys’ kiosk, Levi had just finished the tattoo on the lady who had lost her child, and it was breathtaking. The angel looked alive, her eyes realistic and the facial features were amazing. Her long hair was braided and resting on the side of her neck. The flowers looked natural, every petal looked as though you could reach out and touch them. The colours were amazing. I was speechless and wished the tattoo was on my body. I took a couple of pictures for Levi’s album. His talent was endless, he never ceased to amaze me. He had been tattooing for only a couple of years but his talent reflected many years of experience.

  When she left, I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He’d only done one tattoo but it was a hell of a tattoo. I knew he was ready to go back to our room and take a nap, but we stayed with Kyle. I showed Levi what I bought and he liked the t-shirts. He put one on right away and kissed me.

  The more time I spent with Levi, the more I realized the life I’d had with my parents had cut me off from all the good and simple things in life. Val and Bekka had always done their best to keep me happy, but with Levi, I realized all the good things I’d been missing. Mom had stolen part of my life that I wanted back. Angel was giving it back piece by piece.

  After grabbing something to eat, Kyle joined us in our hotel room. He ate while watching a mixed martial arts match with Levi. Definitely too brutal for me, but I didn’t complain as the guys seemed to like it and they deserved the time off to relax after a long day of work. I was blessed to be a part of it. Sitting down to eat, I knew I’d added a few pounds since our arrival in Vegas, and my dinner wasn't going to help the situation any. I’d ordered a club sandwich, each section was at least three inches high and filled with plenty of greasy bacon and chicken breast. The restaurant had filled the remainder of the container with fries. Levi helped out by taking a piece of my sandwich, but gave me a forkful of his meatball spaghetti in return. I thanked God we were only here for the weekend, I couldn’t afford to keep eating like this.

  "Do you guys feel like going downstairs and gambling a little?" Kyle asked when he’d finished eating.

  "I don't know a thing about gambling," I said doubtfully.

  "Don't worry star, Kyle is good," Levi reassured me. “He can teach you."

  "Okay, then. I don't have much money to spend, but I'm always up for a little fun."

  "Follow the master." Kyle shuffled imaginary cards, acting like a hotshot poker player. Maybe he was, I didn't know the extent of his talent.

  When we arrived in the casino, I expected Kyle to hit the slot machines, but he went directly across the room to a poker table. I honestly couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. This wasn't a playground, this was serious gambling and the discreet sign by the table he’d chosen suggested he could bet a lot of money and lose it just as quickly. Levi took my hand into his. Kyle sat at a table and exchanged cash with the croupier for a pile of gaming chips. He didn't look nervous about how much cash he’d handed over, in fact it was the complete opposite, he looked like he’d just entered a great party. This was playtime for the tattoo artist.

  We watched Kyle play for an hour or so, and while I knew little about poker, Ky seemed to know what he was doing. While the pile of chips in front of him grew bigger sometimes, and smaller at others, it never seemed to reduce greatly in size. We gave Kyle a quick wave before Levi and I went down to the main floor to spend twenty dollars in the slot machines.

  I was really great at losing. Five minutes later I only had five bucks left, but Levi kept winning. He had managed to increase his winnings to a little over fifty dollars in the same amount of time it had taken me to lose fifteen. He was playing on a progressive slot machine which cost him triple the amount each game, but so far he’d won a whole lot more than I had. I stopped wasting my own cash and watched him play, trying to figure out the game. It seemed more complex than the one I’d been playing. Next thing I knew, the machine started to flash crazily and music was blaring out of it. Levi leaped up and down like a lunatic. I figured he’d won but I didn't have a clue how much.

  "How much did you win?" I shrieked, trying to get an answer from him. "Angel... tell me!"

  "We can officially say we got out of this trip to Vegas for free. I won five grand."

  "What! Are you kidding me?" I laughed in disbelief. "You were playing for like five minutes!"

  "Babe, I've been playing for almost an hour." I stared at him in surprise, I’d obviously lost track of time. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and saw it was 12:35am. We’d been here for more than two hours already.

  A lady from the casino walked over and confirmed the win, then gave Levi a voucher he could use to redeem his winnings. Levi couldn't stop grinning. I couldn't believe we’d come in here with twenty bucks each and Levi left with five thousand.

  Levi draped his arm around my shoulder. "Come on, let’s go find Kyle."

  The poker king was still sitting at the same table, his face utterly impassive. He had his poker face on and barely acknowledged our presence. I could tell Levi was dying to tell Kyle how much he’d won, but the game seemed so serious, he stood behind me and circled my waist with his arms instead. We waited impatiently together for Kyle's game to end.

  One by one, the other players left the table after losing a hand, but Ky remained and he was only facing off against two other guys now. I was suddenly nervous, judging by the size of the pile of chips in front of them, they were playing for huge amounts of cash.

  "Nervous little star? I can feel your body trembling," Levi whispered against my ear.

  "I am. It feels like we’re stuck in the middle of a mafia movie. All these people dressed to impress, and here we are slobbing around in jeans and t-shirts." I had the feeling we were waiting for something major to happen and it made my stomach queasy.

  Ten minutes later, Kyle looked up at Levi with a devilish smile and placed his cards on the table with a flourish. The only guy left playing with him at the table threw his cards on the table and stormed away from the table so quickly, his chair clattered on the floor. Kyle jumped out of his seat and grabbed us in his arms. I swear he lifted both of us off the ground in his excitement.

  Lev tried to wriggle out of Kyle’s arms, but he was holding us too tightly. "What the hell, man? How much did you win?"

  "My first game, I won two and half thousand and this game, four grand." Kyle‘s face was filled with excitement and his body was running on pure adrenaline.

  "Wow! Seems like tonight is the guys’ lucky night," I announced. Something else I had to tell the girls. How amazing was that? I tapped Levi’s shoulder and grinned at him.

  "I won five grand." Levi announced with a wide smile.

  "No shit!" Kyle high-fived his partner. “Do you want to play some more?"

 
; "No, no, no way. I’m keeping the money. We’re heading back to the hotel and you should too."

  Kyle rolled his eyes at Levi, probably for being more responsible than he was, but he agreed to follow us. We bought snacks and beers before heading up to Kyle’s room, which was a little bigger than ours. He had a big Jacuzzi, a beautiful view of Vegas and a large flat screen TV. I guessed it was at least over 50 inches big. I didn't know hotels were that cool nowadays.

  Kyle put on some music and we settled on the white leather couch. They were both tired, I could see it in their faces; from the tired eyes to the furrows on their foreheads. I had no clue why we were here drinking beers, instead of heading back to our room to sleep.

  "Did you guys set a date yet?" Kyle asked casually, sipping his beer.

  Levi’s eyes turned to me like he had forgotten something major. "Shit! Was I supposed to have a date set?"

  I laughed my ass off. "No... Absolutely not... It's something we’ll decide together. I was thinking about it today and maybe next summer would be a great time."

  Kyle nodded in agreement. "Next summer, you’ll be done with school right?"

  "Yeah!" I took a sip of the beer. "I think it would be perfect. Right, Angel?"

  "Humm... yeah, absolutely. We could get our own place too." This conversation seemed to be making him nervous. We hadn't talked about our marriage beyond the proposal.

  I snuggled closer to him and took his hand, like he would have done if the situation was reversed. "Relax, Angel, we’ll talk about this later, when we’re ready. Seriously, there’s no need to stress over it right now."

  Levi shook his head, and offered me a wry grin. "I'm sorry, Rock Star. I want to marry you more than anything, but shit, I’m fucking nervous about the idea." All three of us laughed, the situation was hilarious. We hadn’t even set the date and he was already suffering from cold feet.

  "Okay, enough talking about this now, I want to go back to our room and go to bed with my gorgeous fiancée" Levi said, standing up and placing his empty beer bottle on the table. I loved to hear him call me his fiancée - I was his, whether we were married or not, I was his.